VIII. INTERCLUB TEAM MATCHES General 1. The Team Match Committee will consist of one Board member, who will serve as Chairman, and one Board member from each of the three districts who will serve as District Captains. -18-
2. Rules and schedules for team match play will be formulated by the Team Match Committee, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. 3. A team will consist of five players and alternates, and a Member Club may enter no more than two teams. 4. A series will consist of six teams and there will be no limit to the number of series. Any vacancies in a series occurring prior to the completion of the schedule for the current year will be filled by moving up teams in the order of their standings at the end of the previous year. The last series must have a minimum of four teams, but no more than six. 5. Five matches will be played on successive Tuesdays and Thursdays commencing at the end of April or in the beginning of May. Such dates will be determined by the Team Match Committee with Board approval. 6. The Team Match Committee will ensure that every effort is made not to schedule matches at the club of the team that is in first position in its series, nor will that team play any other team on its home course. These standards do not apply to a series with fewer than six teams. However, if two teams from the same club are in the same series, they will play each other on their home course. 7. The team in first place in its series after five matches will automatically advance to the last position in the series above the following season. The team in sixth place in its series after five matches will automatically drop down to the first position in the series below the following season. All ties for Series positions will be resolved according to the methodology described on page 28. 8. The winner of the first series in each district will compete in the Interdistrict Play-Off. The team winning the most points becomes the Champion team, and its club will hold the Founders Trophy for one year. 9. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, a team or player may be disqualified for refusal to comply with the rules of team matches or with decisions of the Team Match Committee. 10. Proper golf attire must be worn at all Team Matches. No -19-
denim of any color, leggings, tank tops, warm-up suits, or sweat pants will be permitted. Under no circumstances will short shorts and low cut shirts be allowed. Skorts and shorts must be no more than 5 above the knee. If the regulations of a host club are more restrictive, the player must conform to the additional regulations. Members whose dress is deemed inappropriate by the WMGA may be denied participation in team matches. 11. In the event that a team wishes to protest a ruling of the Team Match Committee, the protest must be made in writing to the Chairman of the Team Match Committee within one week of the ruling. The WMGA Competitions Committee reserves the right to modify any of the rules in this book governing Team Matches. Procedure For Entering Returning Teams 1. A Member Club must state in writing its intentions to enter a returning team or a returning second team to the WMGA no later than September 26. 2. A Member Club must submit by February 6 its Final Team Entry Form (FTEF). It shall be the responsibility of the Met Rep and Team Captain to verify their players are listed on the FTEF in ascending order of their USGA Handicap Index as of the previous season s final revision date, November 1, 2016 The order of players with the same USGA Handicap Index will be listed at the discretion of the Team Captain. After this date, any additions or changes to the FTEF must meet the requirements listed on page 23, #2 d, e, and f, and be submitted in writing to the District Captain before April 1. Procedure for Entering a New Team 1. A Member Club must submit a New Team Registration Form (NTRF) stating its intentions to enter a new team or a second team to the WMGA office (teammatches@ wmga.com) no later than September 26. The NTRF can be found on the WMGA website (www.wmga.com). Each new team will be automatically placed on the waiting list based on the order of when the WMGA office recieves the NTRF e-mail. -20-
a) A Member Club entering a new team must list a minimum of seven players. b) A Member Club entering two teams must list a minimum of fourteen players. The first five players will be considered the First Team and the next five players the Second Team. c) A Member Club must submit by February 6 its Final Team Entry Form (FTEF). 2. If there is an opening in the last series prior to September 26, the first team on the waiting list will automatically be added to that series. 3. If there are no openings in the last series, the first team on the waiting list will be eligible to challenge the last team in the last series at the conclusion of the five team matches. 4. If there are no teams on the waiting list and a Member Club submits a NTRF on or after September 26 but no later than December 1, the team is eligible to challenge the last team in the last series at the conclusion of the five team matches. Eligibility Rules for Teams and Players 1. A Member Club entering a team must be prepared to: a) Grant one of the scheduled team match or challenge round days for each team it has entered; b) Grant one Tuesday and one Thursday if it has entered two teams; c) Approve a time of 8:30 A.M. for the start of matches on its scheduled day(s); d) Grant a separate starting time for each two-ball match; and e) Pay Club Membership dues of $200 annually, prior to April 1. 2. The following members are eligible to compete in team matches: a) Current WMGA members who renew their memberships by December 1. b) Junior members with an 18 hole USGA Handicap In- -21-
dex of 23.0 or under based on the previous seasons s final revision who pay membership dues by December 1. c) New members to the WMGA who pay membership dues by December 1. d) A player who joins a Member Club after December 1, meets the WMGA Team Match eligibility requirements, and has paid her WMGA membership dues by April 1. e) Current WMGA members who change clubs by April 1. f) Inactive WMGA members who are reinstated to Membership by April 1. 3. A player belonging to two clubs may represent only one club in the matches each year. RULES FOR MATCHES General 1. Matches will be eighteen holes, scoring one point for the first nine holes, one point for the second nine holes, and one point for the eighteen holes. In the event of a tie for any point, each player will receive one-half point. All matches will be single matches. 2. USGA Rules will govern all play. 3. Each District will have a District Captain who reports to the Inderclub Chair. The District Captain will appoint a Series Captain for each Series. Each Team will appoint a Team Captain. Detailed information for Team Captains and Series Captains, including their responsibilities, can be found on the WMGA website (www.wmga.com). 4. All players should be familiar with the WMGA Rules for Team Matches. Day of Play 5. Players must play in the order in which they were listed on the FTEF as provided in Procedure for Entering Returning Teams, page 21. Each player who plays in any position other than the one for which she is eligible will forfeit three points to the other team. 6. A team that competes with any players out of order more -22-
than once in any season will be placed at the bottom of its series. It will forfeit all previously won points, and each opposing team in the series will receive fifteen points. 7. A team should be fully assembled and ready to tee off at its scheduled starting time. Each player must be present and ready to tee off at her scheduled time, with the intent to complete the round. If a player arrives, ready to play, within 5 minutes after her scheduled starting time, she loses the first hole and the match will continue on the second hole. If a player arrives later than 5 minutes after her original starting time or is not ready to play within 5 minutes of her original starting time, she is disqualified, and her team must default the last match scheduled. Telephone calls to the match site do not excuse a player from this rule. 8. In the event a player is disqualified prior to the start of her match, all players on the opposing team who have not yet teed off will shift down one tee time, with the final (now unopposed) player winning by default. In order to win by default, an unopposed player must be ready to play on time; otherwise, neither side wins any points in that match. 9. In the event a player is disqualified prior to the start of her match, her team is considered to be playing short because it is competing with less than five player. In addition to losing the defaulted points, the team playing short will receive a one point penalty. 10. If a player withdraws from a match before its completion, any points she has won will be credited to her and any remaining points will go to her opponent. 11. There will be no agreement to discontinue play and split unearned points. Players who do so will be subject to disqualification for a period to be determined by the Team Match Committee. 12. Subject to the rules of the host club, a player may use a golf cart. In addition, a caddie must also be taken, if available, and will be assigned by the caddie master. A player may be responsible for both cart and caddie fees at the discretion of the host club. -23-
13. The WMGA Pace of Play Policy leaves the responsibility of maintaining the pace of play with the player. If the player is in the first group in the field, she needs to play without undue delay. If the player is in a following group, she needs to keep up with the group in front of her. Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action against the player s team. Day of Play - Sanctions and Penalties for Regular and Rescheduled Team Matches 14. Five players shall constitute a team in all matches. A team is considered to be playing short if the team competes with less than five players. a) A team that is playing short must field its players starting from the #1 position. In addition to losing the defaulted points, the team playing short will be penalized one point. The one point penalty for playing short will be deducted from the total points of the penalized team for that match day and on each match day that such penalty occurs. b) As a courtesy only, in the event that a team (A) knows prior to the day of the match that they will be unable to field a full team, they may concede the missing player(s) match(s) by 8 pm the evening prior by contacting the team captain of the opposing team (B) with a telephone call and a follow-up email copying both the Series Captain and District Captain. A telephone call alone will not suffice as all parties need to be notified in writing via email, since once a match is conceded, it cannot be rescinded. The team captain of the opposing team (B) who is notified should copy all recipients on the defaulting email acknowledging receipt. Note 1: If a match has been conceded and then it is rescheduled, the concession is irrevocable. Note 2: If a match has been conceded, the team playing short will lose the defaulted points and receive a one point penalty. If a team plays one or two players short, the penalty for playing short is just one point. Note 3: In the event of a concession of a match by a team (A), the names of the players from team (B), who win by concession, must be listed on the Team Match Form. If a club has two teams participating in team matches and a -24-
player 4 and/or 5 on the first team wins by concession, they cannot move down to the second team. Note 4: Additional WMGA members may be invited to play the empty spots. These extra player(s) can play at the end of the remaining scheduled matches. 15. A team unable to field any players for a match will be disqualified from competing during the remainder of the current season and will be placed at the bottom of the last series behind any waiting team from the previous year. The team will forfeit all previously won points and each opposing team in the series will receive fifteen points. 16. A team unable to field one or two players for a match will be disqualified from competing during the remainder of the current season and will be placed at the bottom of its series. The team will forfeit all previously won points and each opposing team in the series will receive fifteen points. 17. A team playing short for the majority of its matches will be given an official warning. At the end of the season, if the team is deemed to have played short in the majority of its matches for a consecutive year, it will be placed at the bottom of the last series behind any waiting team(s) from the previous year. Withdrawal of Team 18. If a team withdraws after the completion of scheduling or during the matches, each opposing team in the series will receive fifteen points; earned points will be forfeited. The team that withdraws will be placed at the bottom of the last series behind any waiting team(s) from the previous year. 19. A team withdrawing before or during team matches for two consecutive years will be prohibited from entering a team for the following year. It may then enter as a new team at the bottom of the last series, behind any waiting team(s) from the previous year. Delay or Cancellation of Play 20. Bad weather is not of itself a good reason for discontinuing play. There will be no cancellation of play unless the course is deemed unplayable by the host club. If the host -25-
club is agreeable, play may be delayed until later in the day. 21. When a course is deemed unplayable, the Series Captain will arrange with the host club for another day. In the event the club is unable to grant another day before the Interdistrcit Playoff, a neutral course will be obtained. 22. If a player arrives at the site with the intent to play, but the course is deemed unsuitable for carts, the following will apply: a) If a caddie is available and the player is unable to walk, she must concede her match. However, her team does not move up its players, nor will her team receive a penalty point for playing short. b) If there is no caddie or cart available prior to the start of the match and the course is open, the player is not required to carry her bag or use a pull cart. The match will be rescheduled. 23. If the course is deemed unplayable before the matches are scheduled to begin and remains unplayable, an incomplete team will not be penalized. If the course is reopened, a team must be ready to play, with the intention of completing the round; otherwise, that team will be penalized in accordance with Rules for Matches, page 23. 24. If play is suspended after a match has begun, the match will be resumed from where it was discontinued only if resumption occurs on the same day. 25. If play is cancelled, those matches that have been completed will count. A match which is won by default or concession is deemed to be a completed match. All others will be rescheduled. 26. When a club has two teams, if one team completes its matches on a given day and the other team s matches are rescheduled, those players who completed matches are ineligible to compete on the rescheduled team s roster. 27. The correct order of play and eligibility for Clubs with two teams when one of the regularly scheduled matches is cancelled shall be determined as follows: In the event the first team has a makeup match and the second team -26-
has completed their match, the first team will consist of players who have not already competed in this match and whose position on the FTEF is less than the first player on the second team and whose position on the FTEF is greater than the fifth player. For example, at Match 3, second team players #7, 8, 10, 11, and 13 competed. When the first team reschedules their match, they may ask players #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, etc. up to the last player listed on the FTEF. In the event the second team has the makeup match and the first team has completed their match, the second team will consist of players who have not already competed in the match and whose position on the FTEF is greater than the player in the fifth position who competed on the first team. For example, at Match 5, if the first team plays with #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, then the second team may play with players #7, 8, 9, 10 up to the last person listed on the FTEF. Ties for Series Position 28. FOR ALL POSITIONS IN ALL SERIES (EXCEPT IN SERIES 1, FIRST POSITION): If two teams tie for a position in a series, the team winning the most points when those teams played each other will be placed in the higher position in the series for the following year. If two teams tied when they played, or if more than two teams tie for a position in a series, standings for the following year will be determined based upon each team s TOTAL BACK 9 POINTS when those teams played each other. If teams continue to be tied, the POINT TOTAL of the players in the 5th position for each team will be compared. If still tied, the POINT TOTAL of the players in the 4th position for each team will be compared and so on, until the tie is broken. 29. In the case of more than two teams tying, ties are to be broken by the Team Match Committee. 30. TIES FOR FIRST POSITION IN SERIES 1: A date and a neutral course will be designated for an eighteen hole play-off. If teams are still tied at the end of eighteen holes, a sudden-death play-off will take place as described in the Interdistrict Play-Off below. -27-
INTERDISTRICT PLAYOFF Eligibility The first five listed players must have competed in at least two of the current season s regular matches. All other listed players are eligible, even if they have not played in any regular matches. Competition This will be an eighteen hole Three-Ball Match Play competition on a neutral course. The neutral course will be chosen from the three districts on a rotating basis. In the case of a tie, the teams who are tied will have a sudden death play-off. A starting time for the Playoff will be designated by the Team Match Chairman. Each position will play one hole. If a team is ahead after the first hole, it is deemed to be the winner. If the teams are still tied, play will be continued by the entire team, one hole at a time, until the tie is broken. IX. HOLD HARMLESS & PHOTOGRAPHIC POLICIES 1. Tournament participants agree to hold the WMGA, its agents, servants, and employees, harmless and free from all claims, demands, and liabilities arising out of any loss, damage, or injury suffered by said member in connection with any tournament entered. 2. The WMGA reserves the right to photograph/video participants in and at WMGA events. These photos/videos may be used in conjuction with WMGA promotions including promotional materials, publications, WMGA website and/or WMGA social media accounts. -28-